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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

My Experience with Class Pass

Hi everyone! Have you heard of Class Pass before? To put it simply, it's a membership program that lets you try out boutique fitness classes all over your city for one monthly price. It's a great way to try out fun new classes without any commitment or hefty prices that are usually associated with these specialized workouts. (In fact, just out of curiosity I looked up how much individual classes that I tried this month would be if I didn't have Class Pass, and I ended up saving $62!!)

Class Pass has been around for a while in big cities, and this year they came to Pittsburgh! I immediately jumped on their website and got a "medium" plan, which is 5 classes per month for $30 (this price varies per city). There's also a small plan which is 3 classes for $20, or 10 classes for $60. Once you use up all of your classes, you can purchase individual classes!

I wanted to try out a wide range of classes, so I went to 5 different studios around the city and took 5 different styles of workouts. It was fun to try some crazy classes, and I'm already excited to keep going and try more and more! For each class that I took, I'll share some info on the class, along with my ratings for the studio, intensity of the class, how sore I was the next day (aka how good the workout really was), how fun the class was, and overall thoughts.

Class Description : A faster paced one hour class that fuses the alignment focused elements of barre with the intensity of interval to give you a full body strength and stretching experience with intermittent blasts of cardiovascular fun. A challenging workout that will guide you towards enhancing your practice at a more intense pace.

Ratings :
Studio- 9/10 - great location with lots of parking. showers and lockers available, but only one workout area.
Intensity- 7/10 - definitely got a good sweat going, but I was never out of breath. lots of small movements that would give a burn though!
Soreness- 10/10 - probably the most sore that I've ever been after a workout. I felt it for days after.
Fun Factor- 7/10 - class went by pretty quickly, but I definitely felt like I was working out the whole time.
Overall- 33/40- I loved this class! Barre is one of those workouts that I've always wanted to try, but have been intimidated about going. Everyone that worked at this studio was so welcoming and friendly, especially the owner Joanna! She actually offered to host a blogger meet up (which you can read about here!) and is all-around an amazing instructor.

Class Description : EmbodiYoga is an intimate yogic inquiry of the many layers of our form and of the many pathways available for the development of our awareness. Shedding new light on the inner workings of yoga, EmbodiYoga offers an engaged exploration of the transformative and creative potential of Hatha yoga by opening ever deeper layers of consciousness in every cell, tissue, and system of the body.

Ratings :
Studio- 9/10 - kind of hard to find (I drove past it twice!) but plenty of parking. studio itself is small (2 rooms and a lobby) but it smelled AMAZING and there were Christmas lights set up instead of regular lights to make it very calming.
Intensity- 1/10 - very relaxing, almost meditative flow. it felt so great but wasn't intense at all.
Soreness- 1/10 - next day I didn't even feel like I had any workout at all. great for a rest day.
Fun Factor- 4/10 - not really a fun class, but so relaxing.
Overall- 15/40 - This is one of the most interesting classes that I've ever tried. It felt so great just to do really slow, easy poses and to focus on meditating rather than building up a sweat. I'm not sure if I would rush back to this class, but it would be perfect for a week where I'm feeling overwhelmed and need to relax.

Class Description : This class offers a high adrenaline, low impact and fun workout all while bouncing and dancing to your favorite songs. You will be challenging your mind and body. Bounce Moves incorporates trampoline cardio and dance to strategically work the body while balancing and strengthening your core throughout. The sequences and choreography are created to engage your mind and challenge your body.

Ratings :
Studio- 7/10 - parking can be hard to find since it's in the strip district, but it's attached to a parking garage with good rates. only one room, but it was really well-supplied (water, towels, toiletries, etc).
Intensity- 7/10 - the trampolines helped make the class not seem as hard since there's no impact, but I found myself getting out of breath without even realizing how hard I was working.
Soreness- 5/10 - I didn't expect to be sore the next day since the class didn't really seem to tire me out, but I did have some sore legs.
Fun Factor- 10/10 - SO MUCH FUN. there was choreography to follow, but my body just wouldn't cooperate and I ended up basically bouncing and flailing around for the entire hour. I felt like a little kid and couldn't stop smiling though!
Overall- 29/40 - I've always wanted to try out a trampoline class, and this one didn't disappoint. It was such a fun and different workout and I loved it! This is the exact reason why I wanted to try out Class Pass- to try crazy classes that I would normally never go to.

Class Description : BodyPump is a barbell workout for anyone looking to get lean, toned and fit- fast. Using light to moderate weights with tons of repetition, BODYPUMP gives you a total body workout. Instructors will coach you through the scientifically proven moves ad techniques pumping out encouragement, motivation and great music- helping you achieve much more than on your own.

Ratings :
Studio- 4/10 - very remote (seriously felt kind of spooky going down a deserted, dead-end street at night!) with lots of parking. big gym without much personality and seemed kind of generic.
Intensity- 7/10 - depending on the weight you use, this class can be as easy or intense as you want. there are so many reps and every muscle group is worked in the hour, so it's definitely a challenging class.
Soreness- 8/10 - I can definitely tell where I'm weakest after this class (triceps and biceps, chest, shoulders..pretty much all of my upper body). I could barely lift anything afterwards.
Fun Factor- 6/10 - the hour goes by pretty quickly, but it feels like a workout since you're just lifting weights the entire time.
Overall- 25/40 - It's kind of funny how different this class felt compared to the other classes that I took- I'm definitely getting spoiled. This was a good class, but it just felt generic and the gym wasn't as nice as the other studios. You definitely get what you pay for, since a drop-in for classes at this gym are only $8, while classes at the other places can cost up to $30!

Class Description : Mashup Monday's are a staple of the weekly CycleBar experience. CycleStars build their playlist to combine songs from 2 artists and "Mash Up" the song choices and drills.

Ratings :
Studio- 10/10 - this is a brand new studio that opened up in a recently renovated strip mall in the North Hills, and it felt so hip and fresh. you sign in for class using an iPad, get complimentary spin shoes in cubbies under the iPad, then drop off all your stuff in a locker. first time visitors get a waterbottle, chapstick, hand sanitizer, and coupon for a free spin. the rest of the studio is so nice, and the actual spin space feels like a night club with ambient lighting and amazing sound system, and class ends with the instructors handing you a cold towel (NO better feeling in the world!)
Intensity- 10/10 - even during the warmup I was feeling it! we did a 50 minute spin with hills, sprints, climbs, and an arm circuit. we also got to "race" against our other classmates which made it a bit more fun and intense.
Soreness- 7/10 - I was definitely sore on my run the next day, but it wasn't too bad.
Fun Factor- 10/10 - a review on Yelp described this as a nightclub with stationary bikes, and that's exactly how I would describe this. so much fun from beginning to end.
Overall-37/40 - I was really excited to try out this studio, since it's so close to my house. It's really convenient, so I was hoping that I would love it! Plus, it was my first time at a boutique spin studio. I am SO in love with this studio and can not wait to go back. They have fun themed rides all the time and have a brunch class on Sundays, which ends with a mimosa. COME ON!!!

As you can probably tell, I really like Class Pass. This month, I got to try out some new classes, and got in some great workouts! I also used this as a way of socializing- instead of meeting up with a friend to get a drink or get dinner, I'll ask them to take a class with me. It's a lot cheaper and healthier that way, plus we both get to try a new workout or explore a new area of the city. I think the price is reasonable for what you get (especially in Pittsburgh- other cities are kind of crazy!), and I like the fact that you can change your package size or skip a month whenever you're traveling!

Another thing that I love is their app. It's so easy to filter by location, class time, class type, amenities...the possibilities are endless! Plus- you can add your friends and see what classes they're taking ;) After your class you can leave feedback, and read what other people say about the class before going. It's a great, easy-to-use app!

If you're interested in trying out Class Pass too, you can use my referral code to get $30 off a package! And if you're a Pittsburgher- let's hit up a class together! FYI-I'm not affiliated with Class Pass or being sponsored by them (I wish!!), so these are all my honest opinions!Have you ever tried Class Pass?What's your favorite type of workout?What's a workout you've always wanted to try?

2 comments:

i have heard of class pass and i think it's absolutely brilliant. if it ever comes to louisville i will definitely use it! such a great way to try new things and save money. i would definitely be more likely to try new things if i could do something like this. we do have a cycle bar here, but it's so expensive, so... it seems silly when we have spin class at the gym. i love body pump, but it is definitely (in my mind) associated with big gyms and not very personal.. but i like it. that's probably my favourite kind of class workout! happy thanksgiving!

I've never heard of this before! I mean, not that I could ever use it in this podunk town, but I'm crossing my fingers we'll have something like this in our next city! I've been wanting to try a cycle bar forever because, hell, sometimes you just need a break from running. Happy Thanksgiving!